


Hair of the Dog

by Typo66



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Almost Crack, Character Study, Desolation of Smaug, Drinking, Drunk Bilbo, First Kiss, M/M, Pre-Slash, maybe just slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2018-01-06 10:17:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1105628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typo66/pseuds/Typo66
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The men of Lake Town are happy to have the dwarves. Dwarves are happy to have free food and drink. Bilbo needs some air. When he's drunk, he's too honest for his own good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hair of the Dog

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a silly little thing that I wrote in one sitting. I had missed Thorin and Bilbo and I've just seen the Desolation of Smaug. So here is a little scene I'd like to think happened before they left for the mountain. 
> 
> -spoiler-  
> Oh and in this one Kili wasn't shot with the arrow. I don't know. It's a mix of the film and the book. Not that it really matters here.  
> -spoiler-

Bilbo could feel the mead working on his system. Everything was getting funnier, fuzzier and.. much more tolerable. For example, he didn’t mind the fact that the bar owner had just put down a third mug of mead in front of him, almost too big and full for him to lift by himself, for free. Yeah, they were eating and drinking on promises that Thorin had made and none of them were sure they could keep. Bilbo had protested, arguing that accepting this much generosity without the immediate means of payment available might cause trouble later, he had tried to advise Thorin to stick to their basic needs instead of gorging themselves on food and comfort that they were only able to pay in hope for the people of Esgaroth. But of course only Balin had agreed with Bilbo and only to be overwhelmed the next moment by the enthusiasm of the other dwarves when food appeared. 

So now Bilbo was sitting here, almost managing to finish his second tankard of mead when a third appeared in front of him and he didn’t even mind anymore that they couldn’t actually afford any of it. At least for now. 

He drank up. Or at least tried to, with some urging from Dwalin, who was laughing uproariously. Bilbo couldn’t tell what was so funny but he suspected it was himself. That, he also didn’t mind. He couldn’t catch all the words, or the jokes, Fili was walking on the table, he remembered that, then he remembered looking down on all the other dwarves as they sung some merry tune, so he himself must have gotten up there at some point. He didn’t remember much else though. Hobbits loved to wine and dine but the sheer amount of mead that a single man sized tankard had provided Bilbo with, had been too much.

“I think I need some air.” He said to the dwarf sitting next to him and pushed himself up.

“I don’t think you should go out alone laddie.” Someone said as they held onto his arm, carrying most of his weight as he tried to stand up straight.

“Bother. I’m fine.” He tried to wave the dwarf off, realizing a little late that it was Balin. He reached out for his third tankard to carry it out too. He wouldn’t go far. Just to the balcony, to look down on the icy stream maybe. Cool air would clear his head. 

“It’s alright. I’ll go with him.” He heard the deep voice right above his head and felt a steadying hand take over the possession of his arm.

Thorin.

Bilbo smiled and tried to turn and focus on the face that he admired so. That was alright. Thorin could come with him. He didn’t mind Thorin’s hand on his arm one bit.

“Are you bored of the party too?” He tried to joke but only to be interrupted by mead spilling over his bare feet, getting the curls there wet and soggy. 

“Oh...” Bilbo looked down sadly then looked back up when someone lifted the heavy tankard from his hands.

“I think you’ve had enough Master Baggins.” Thorin said and Bilbo watched him place the tankard on the table before ushering Bilbo out the door.

The cool evening breeze was as refreshing as it was chilly. Bilbo could feel the warmth of the mead dispersing into the night and it felt good. Then just as he was about to get cold he felt the bulk of Thorin’s body pressing onto his side, providing warmth. He would have stumbled and fell but Thorin grabbed him around the waist to steady him.

“You’re drunk.” The dwarf told him and Bilbo turned to look at Thorin properly.

“And you are.. you are.. ”

Frankly, the only adjective Bilbo could think of right now was “devastatingly handsome”. Thankfully he had enough presence of mind to not say that out loud. However, he couldn’t stop himself from leaning onto Thorin’s solidity. 

“I am?” The dwarf quirked an amused eyebrow at him. He wasn’t smiling but Bilbo could tell he was about to, by the crinkles around the corners of his eyes. Thorin had pulled his hair into a messy pony tail, streaks of gray shining at his temples in the dim light, his eyes were shadowed but not enough to conceal the deep blue of his eyes. Bilbo wanted to touch the short beard, maybe scratch it until Thorin purred. But Thorin wouldn’t purr would he? He was more likely to growl. Like a strong, wild, willful animal, dangerous.

“Do I have something on my face?” the dwarf asked and Bilbo realized he was staring. He also realized he was still leaning heavily on Thorin too. He coughed and pulled himself away. As soon as Thorin’s arm dropped away from around his waist, Bilbo shivered.

“Nothing. Nothing. ” He fussily pulled his waistcoat tighter around himself, and ran a hand over his hair, not realizing he was only managing to make it stick up more. He tried to open his eyes, blink away the heaviness of the mead. 

After watching Bilbo for a few seconds to make sure he was good to stand on his own, Thorin took a couple of steps to the side to lean on the railing.

“You were about to say something about me Master hobbit. I am what?” He asked looking at Bilbo.

“Uh..” Bilbo tried to think, he couldn’t remember how the conversation had started. “You are.. Thorin.” He said pointlessly. “Son of Thrain, son of Thror, rightful king under the mountain.” Well at least he knew that part was true. But it reminded him of something else, “How much gold is in there really? You really think Erebor can pay off a whole city? Because those men in there are really really hopeful, I mean if it turns out that we don’t have enough to pay back, I don’t know how bad-”

In the jumble of thoughts Bilbo was trying to entangle in his mind, he missed how Thorin’s jaw had tightened.

“There is more than enough Master Burglar. Enough to buy off this little town ten times over. You don’t need to worry about that.”

Bilbo stayed silent for a moment. Then;

“That sounds like a lot.”

“It is. It is the hard work and legacy of my people. Erebor was once the greatest of dwarven kingdoms. And It shall be once more. When I have the Arkenstone.”

Bilbo rocked on the soles of his feet, trying to imagine what Thorin was talking about but it was all stick figures in his fuzzy state.

“Is that what King Thranduil asked of you? The big white jewel?”

“Yes.” Thorin bit out. “And he shall never get his vile hands on it, that -” After that followed a series of Khuzdul words that sounded harsh to even Bilbo’s foreign ears.

“It must be beautiful if it’s really that important to you.”

Thorin nodded. Then they stood there in silence for a while in which Bilbo tucked his hands under his armpits to get warm. He was feeling clearer. At least clear enough to realize how drunk he was. Looking at Thorin, he could understand how seriously the dwarf took a piece of rock.

“I can’t imagine putting so much worth on a single jewel. Especially when you have a mountain of gold.” He said.

“It is not just a jewel.” This time Bilbo realized this line of conversation was likely to get Thorin angry. He would have to let it go as a point of cultural difference.

“Alright.” He said easily and looked down at the wet hair on top of his feet. When he looked back up Thorin was looking at him. He raised both eyebrows in question.

“I don’t understand you Master Baggins.” Thorin said, no trace of the anger left in his voice. “You don’t value precious rocks, or even gold that much. Why would you travel so far to help a group of people that aren’t even your kin.”

Bilbo shrugged. The question was too much for his brain right now, which was working at half speed.

“I like traveling.” He said and startled when Thorin laughed. It was a small laugh, but a deep one, it lit up the dwarfs face, making him look impossibly attractive. It was very rare to see Thorin laugh, and Bilbo remembered every single instance he did. Suddenly there was so much he wanted to tell Thorin. He didn’t know where to start.

“I admire you. You’re so strong.” He said, looking down at the water. “So stubborn, so loyal. I can’t imagine what pain you must have gone through. And came out the other end alive and sane. Any other person I know, hobbit or not, would have crumpled under the pressure of the responsibility you carry. You’ve carried. Your people look up to you. I look up to you. I know what Balin meant when he looked at you and saw a king.” He didn’t know where was going with this little speech. So suddenly it hit him what a ridiculous situation he had found himself in. “Yet you are standing here with a drunk little hobbit. I bet you’d even hold my hair if I puked.” 

He wanted to look at Thorin but he didn’t dare. Alcohol had made him spill his thoughts unchecked but he still didn’t dare to look up and see how Thorin took his uncontrolled gushing.

After a moment he heard Thorin’s boots come closer to him and a heavy weight settled on his shoulders. Bilbo realized it was Thorin’s coat. Warmth seeped into him making him notice how cold he had gotten since they had come out of the tavern.

“I was raised a prince.” Thorin said from behind him. “Taught to fight by the best of the swords masters. Studied trade, history, negotiation, war strategies... Responsibility was always mine to carry.”

Bilbo felt Thorin’s hands on his shoulders, then moving down his arms. He shivered but not from the cold this time. Thorin’s voice was low and reverent as he went on after a little pause.

“But you, Master Baggins. You left behind the comfort of your hearth and the peace of your people. You stood up for us, of your own free will. That takes an entirely different amount of courage.An amount I had never thought was possible before I met you.”

Bilbo turned around and looked up at Thorin, half expecting to see the dwarf mocking him. But Thorin was dead serious. He felt his hand rise to Thorin’s chest, broad and without the coat, exposed under the thin tunic the men had given him. It still felt hot under his hands. 

Then Thorin was cupping his jaw, Bilbo was raising himself on the tip of his toes, not thinking or analyzing, just moving to kiss the dwarf like had wanted to do since the moment he had laid eyes on him.

And the door to the tavern banged open, spilling out a green looking Kili and a concerned looking Fili right on his heels. The dark haired dwarf flung himself to the rails, then with the most hideous sounds of retching Bilbo had ever heard, started to to empty his guts into the slow stream that traveled between the rickety buildings of Lake Town.

“Alright, You’re alright. Just let it all out.” Fili was saying soothingly as he held his brother through the dry heaving.

“By Mahal Fili.. Yer have to kill me..”

“None sense. I’ll tease you about this until the day you die though.. ” Fili said gleefully. “What would that elf lady say if she could see you right now.”

Kili groaned and dry heaved some more.

Then Fili suddenly turned to Thorin and Bilbo, to say something and the grin on his face froze in shock.

Bilbo realized he was still clinging onto Thorin like his life depended on it and Thorin still had his hands cupping his face. They both let go as if the eachother was a burning coal.

“Oh.” Fili simply said.

“Fili.” Thorin growled and Fili’s hands shot up in surrender, his eyes wide.

“I’ve seen nothing. I swear on Mahal’s beard.. Not a thing.” 

Kili whined, oblivious to the drama going on above his head while he was hanging off the rails dangerously and Fili turned to him, absently patting his brother on the back.

“Terrible timing brother. Absolutely horrible.” He said.

“Fili!” It was Bilbo this time. He was suddenly sober and felt himself flush crimson. He turned to run inside and could still hear Fili snickering as the door of the tavern closed behind him.

Thorin appeared not long after he had sat down and downed a huge glass of water. Thankfully the dwarves had thought nothing more than the cold as the cause of Bilbo’s blush. He tried not to watch Thorin walk around the table to sit next to him but the dwarf looked composed and serious.

Then when Bilbo raised his glass to his lips to take a sip to wet his mouth that had gone dry again, he felt Thorin’s heavy hand on his thigh and choked a little.

He whipped his head to look at Thorin but Thorin was just looking ahead. Then he leaned a little closer to Bilbo and said, 

“We’ll finish our conversation later Master Baggins. When I don’t feel like killing my sister sons.”

Bilbo felt the warmth in Thorin’s voice right down to his toes. He couldn’t wait.


End file.
